The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor storage apparatus, in which data writing latch circuits are connected to bit lines in a memory cell array; groups consisting of the latch circuits and groups consisting of memory cells in columns in the memory cell arrays are divided into a plurality of areas in a row direction, and the plurality of latch circuits in each of the areas are connected to individual data lines.
A conventional semiconductor storage apparatus has been configured so that data writing latch circuits are provided on bit lines, for performing a latching operation at predetermined times (i.e., the total number of latch circuits divided by the number of data lines), and a writing operation is performed at the same time after data is set in all of the latch circuits. Here, the total number of latch circuits for simultaneously performing the writing operation is referred to as xe2x80x9cone pagexe2x80x9d.
Hereinafter in FIGS. 1-6, xe2x80x9cPLxe2x80x9d denotes a latching operation, xe2x80x9cProgramxe2x80x9d denotes a data transferring and writing operation, xe2x80x9cPVxe2x80x9d denotes a verifying operation, and xe2x80x9cWAITxe2x80x9d denotes an operation standby. Furthermore, the numeral following xe2x80x9cPL,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cProgram,xe2x80x9d and
The prior art is described below in reference to the drawings. FIG. 6A is a circuit diagram illustrating a semiconductor storage apparatus in the prior art; and FIG. 6B is a flowchart illustrating its operation.
In FIG. 6A, reference numeral 600 represents an area 0 obtained by division in the case of four data lines; 610, an area 1 in the same manner; 601 to 604, memory cells within the area 0 (600); 605 to 608, data writing latch circuits within the area 0 (600); 611 to 614, memory cells within the area 1 (610); 615 to 618, data writing latch circuits within the area 1 (610); 620, a word line; 621, a data line for setting data in the latch circuits 605 to 608 within the area 0 (600); and 622, a data line for setting data in the latch circuits 615 to 618 within the area 1 (610).
The operation of the semiconductor storage apparatus in the prior art configured as described above is explained below in accordance with the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6B. In the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6B, the operations in the areas correspond to each other timewise.
First of all, writing data in the area 0 (600) is stored in the latch circuits 605 to 608 (STEP 0).
Next, writing data in the area 1 (610) is stored in the latch circuits 615 to 618 (STEP 1).
In this manner, latch setting of one page is completed.
Subsequently, the word line 620 is set to a predetermined writing voltage level. Thereafter, a verifying operation and a writing operation are repeated until all of the memory cells 601 to 604 and 611 to 614 have reached a predetermined threshold level (STEP 2 to STEP 5).
With the above-described configuration, the parallelism of writing times is great, thereby achieving the writing operation at a relatively high speed.
However, with the above-described configuration, the writing operation is not started until the latch setting of the writing data is completed with respect to each of the latch circuits of one page. Therefore, the completion of the latch setting of the writing data in other areas must be waited for in the area where the writing data has already been set, even if the writing operation has been prepared, thereby raising a problem of a loss in the total writing time.
Furthermore, a data latching operation of the next page is not started until the writing operation of one page is completed. Therefore, the completion of the writing operation in other areas must be waited for at an area, where the writing operation has already been completed, even if latching has been prepared for next data, thereby raising a problem of a loss in the writing time for the entire chip.
Moreover, since the writing operation of one page is started in any area at the same time, the writing time is constant all the time, thereby raising a problem that a speed is determined at a writing speed of the slowest memory cell within one page.
The present invention has been accomplished in an attempt to solve the above problems observed in the prior art. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor storage apparatus and a writing method in a semiconductor storage apparatus, in which data writing processing can be performed at a higher speed.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the description below.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first embodiment for solving the problems, a semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is predicated on a semiconductor storage apparatus, in which data writing latch circuits are connected to bit lines in a memory cell array, a group consisting of the latch circuits and a group consisting of memory cells in columns in the memory cell array are divided into a plurality of areas in a row direction, and the plurality of latch circuits at each of the areas are connected to individual data lines, respectively. In the above-described semiconductor storage apparatus, the plurality of memory cells at each of the areas are commonly connected to individual sub word lines, and further, the sub word line at each of the areas is connected to a main word line via a switching element for a word line.
In other words, it is construed as follows: a semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of areas, each of which is divided in a memory cell array in a row direction; a group consisting of memory cells arranged in each of the areas; a group consisting of data writing latch circuits arranged in each of the areas in connection to each of the memory cells in the group consisting of the memory cells via a word line; data lines individually connected to the latch circuits, respectively; sub word lines connected commonly to the group consisting of the memory cells at each of the areas; and a switching element for a word line inserted between each of the sub word lines and the main word line.
Functions of the above-described configuration are as follows: writing data is latched in the group consisting of the latch circuits at a certain one out of the areas divided in the row direction. Upon completion of the data latching, the processing proceeds to data latching with respect to the group consisting of the latch circuits at the other area. In synchronism with this, the switching element for the word line is turned on at the area, at which the data latching has already been completed, and then, the sub word line is connected to the main word line. Thus, an applied potential of the main word line is transmitted to the group consisting of the memory cells at the area via the switching element and the sub word line, and the data is transferred to and written in the group consisting of the memory cells at the area from the group consisting of the latch circuits after the completion of the data latching. In parallel to the writing data latching at one area, the latch data is written in the memory cells at the other area. In other words, it is unnecessary at the area, at which the data latching has been completed, to wait for the completion of the data latching at the other area. Subsequent to the completion of the data latching, the processing proceeds to the data writing without any substantial wait. Consequently, the data writing processing can be efficiently performed at a high speed.
As a second embodiment for solving the problems, a semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is further configured such that a switching element for the latch circuit is interposed between each of the memory cells and each of the latch circuits, the switching elements for the latch circuits are divided per area, and the plurality of switching elements for the latch circuits at each of the areas are connected commonly to an individual address signal line, in the first embodiment for solving the problems.
In other words, it is construed as follows: a semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of areas, each of which is divided in a memory cell array in a row direction; a group consisting of memory cells arranged in each of the areas; a group consisting of data writing latch circuits arranged in each of the areas in connection to each of the memory cells in the group consisting of the memory cells via a word line; data lines individually connected to the latch circuits, respectively; sub word lines connected commonly to the group consisting of the memory cells at each of the areas; a switching element for a word line inserted between each of the sub word lines and a main word line; a switching element for a latch circuit interposed between each of the memory cells and each of the latch circuits; and an address signal line connected commonly to a group consisting of the switching elements for the latch circuits at each of the areas.
Functions of the above-described configuration are as follows: the switching element for the latch circuit is turned off at the area, in which the writing operation has been completed, and then, the electric connection between the memory cell and the latch circuit in the area is cut at the time when the writing operation of one page is not completed. Thereafter, next data is latched with respect to the latch circuit in the area. As a result, in the area, where the writing operation has been completed, the next data can be latched without delay for completion of the data writing operation in the other area. Consequently, time for latching data on the second page and thereafter can be shortened, thereby shortening the total writing time.
With the first or second embodiments for solving the problems, it is further preferable that a memory cell for storing a writing speed priority should be connected to each of the bit lines.
Functions of the above-described configuration are as follows: the information on the writing speed priority per area is stored in the memory cell during the first writing operation. The priority of the data writing is controlled based on the information about the writing speed priority stored in the memory cell during the second and subsequent writing operations. For example, the writing operation is performed while giving priority to the area, at which the writing speed was slow. As a consequence, the second and subsequent writing operations can be performed at a high speed.
As for a writing method in a semiconductor storage apparatus, the above-described problems can be solved by providing means below according to the present invention.
A first embodiment for solving the problems for the writing method in a semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is featured in that latch setting of writing data is sequentially performed per area in the state in which a memory cell array is divided into a plurality of areas in a row direction, and the writing method comprises the following steps. That is to say, in one step, latch setting of writing data is performed at a certain area. In the next step, data after the latch setting at the area, at which the latch setting is completed, is transferred to and written in a memory cell of the area; then the latch setting of the writing data is performed at one of the residual areas; and further, the simultaneous processing of the data writing and the data latching setting is sequentially shifted to the next area untill completion at all of the areas. Namely, the writing method in the semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is featured in that at the area, at which the latch setting has been completed, the data after the latch setting is transferred to and written in the memory cells at the area without delay for the completion of latch setting at the other area.
Functions of the above-described writing method are as follows: when the latch setting of the writing data in the latch circuit is performed per area, there is an area, at which the latch setting has been completed, while there is another area, at which the latch setting has not been completed and the latch setting is started. Like in the prior art, if the data is written in the memory cell after the completion of the latch setting at all of the areas, a waiting time occurs at the area, at which the latch setting has been completed. In contrast, by the writing method according to the present invention, the latch data in the latch circuit after the latch setting is transferred to and written in the memory cell subsequently to the completion of the latch setting without delay for the completion of the latch setting at the other area. Consequently, it is possible to efficiently perform the data writing operation at a high speed. That is to say, it is possible to shorten the total writing time.
In another preferred aspect in the first embodiment for solving the problems of the above-described writing method, a data writing operation to be performed at the area, at which latch setting is completed, during the latch setting at the other area is a weak writing operation at a low level that the memory cell cannot reach a predetermined threshold level by making a potential level of the word line lower than that during a normal writing operation.
Functions of the above-described writing method are as follows: since the threshold level in writing the data in the memory cell is higher than a predetermined threshold level in the normal writing operation, the operation inevitably proceeds to a verifying operation, which requires time. In contrast, in the writing method according to the present invention, a weak writing operation is performed in the state in which the threshold level does not reach the predetermined threshold level by suppressing the word line potential level lower than usual at the time of the data writing during the latch setting in the other area. Thus, it is possible to omit the verifying operation. The omission of the verifying operation is continued until the latch setting at all of the areas is completed. The omission of the verifying operation in the above-described manner can further shorten the total writing time.
In a further preferred aspect in the first embodiment for solving the problems of the above-described writing method, a data writing operation to be performed in the area, where the latch setting is completed, during latch setting in the other area, is a weak writing operation at a low level that the memory cell cannot reach a predetermined threshold level by making a writing pulse width less than that during a normal writing operation.
Functions of the above-described writing method are as follows: since the threshold level in writing the data in the memory cell is higher than a predetermined threshold level in the normal writing operation, the operation inevitably proceeds to a verifying operation, which requires time. In contrast, in the writing method according to the present invention, a weak writing operation is performed in the state in which the threshold level does not reach the predetermined threshold level by reducing the writing pulse width less than usual at the time of the data writing during the latch setting at the other area. Thus, it is possible to omit the verifying operation. The omission of the verifying operation is continued until the latch setting at all of the areas is completed. The omission of the verifying operation in the above-described manner can further shorten the total writing time.
A second embodiment for solving the problems in the writing method in the semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is featured in that the electric connection between each of the latch circuits and each of the memory cells is cut at the area, where the data writing operation is completed, and then, the latch setting of next writing data is performed during the data writing operation at the other area, in the above-described first embodiment for solving the problems.
Functions of the above-described writing method are as follows: the electric connection between each of the latch circuits and each of the memory cells is cut in the area, where the writing operation has been completed, at the time when the writing operation of one page has not been completed. In contrast, the data is written in the other area. In the meantime, next data is latched with respect to the latch circuit in the area, at which the writing operation has been completed. As a result, in the area, where the writing operation has been completed, the next data can be latched without delay for the completion of the data writing operation in the other area. Consequently, time for latching data on the second page and thereafter can be shortened, thereby shortening the total writing time.
A third embodiment for solving the problems in the writing method in the semiconductor storage apparatus according to the present invention is featured in that information on a writing speed priority per area is stored during the data writing operation with respect to the memory cell, and the data writing operation is performed while giving priority to the area of a low priority based on the stored information on the writing speed priority during the second and subsequent writing operations after the completion of the data writing operation in all of the areas, in the above-described first or second embodiments for solving the problems.
Functions of the above-described writing method are as follows: the information on the writing speed priority per area is stored during the first writing operation. The data is written while giving priority to the area of low priority based on the information on the stored writing speed priority during the second and subsequent writing operations. As a consequence, the second and thereafter writing operations can be performed at a high speed.
The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the following description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.